July 13, 2013
Today King’s Court Shopping Center had a Sidewalk Sale from 1-4pm. Somehow I had forgotten about this (though I had read about it) and when I went over to the shops there was delighted and surprised to be met by the fabulous music of The Mary Ellen Duo (specifically Mary Ellen and Randy today) performing by Wells Fargo Bank and The Chocolate Dream Box (one of my favorite stores in town). The music was so wonderful that I quit doing my errands, sat down on a nearby bench, and texted my family to see if they could hurry on down to join me.
As with a lot of musical groups, there’s some fluidity – sometimes these two perform together, sometimes with a larger group, sometimes with other musicians all together. But what I heard today definitely made me want to come back for more!
Randy is an extremely skilled guitarist. and good vocalist too. (Although I played long ago, in high school and college, I’m married to an engineer with a deep musical passion and we must have at least 5 or 6 guitars in our home. Plus all kinds of other instruments….) I found myself watching him race up and down the neck of the electric guitar as if he were doing something as natural and simple as breathing, when in fact he was mastering some very complicated arrangements beautifully. Emphasis on “beautifully”.
Mary Ellen’s voice is simply incredible. Naturally she’s on key and has a fantastic sense of rhythm. But it’s much, much more than that. This tiny little woman can belt out a song and you find yourself wondering how so much sound can emerge out of someone so small! Whether she’s performing a song by the Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Carole King, Adele or anyone else, it’s extremely moving. Somehow, all the emotion embroiled in the song is conveyed with such depth and passion that you just want to sound like a little kid and say “one more???”
Tomorrow (7-14-2013) they’ll be performing from 2 – 3:30 at the Los Altos Art & Wine Festival at the Community Plaza Stage. If I weren’t holding an open house, I’d be there! Hoping my family can go and enjoy their performance, though 🙂
After that, they can be seen on Thursday, July 18th 2013 at the Willow Glen Concerts in the Glen at 1425 Lincoln Avenue, Willow Glen (San Jose) from 6:30 – 8:30pm (The Garage Band).
Following that performance, find The Mary Ellen Duo at Santana Row and Park Valencia Stage (by Maggiano’s and Starbucks) in San Jose from 6 – 9pm.
Want more info? Check out these sites:
And if you’d like to be on Mary Ellen’s mailing list, email her at mevox2010@gmail.com.
